An elite team of police officers are set to monitor social media for anti-migrant rhetoric over fears of summer riots.
Detectives, assembled by the Home Office, will be taken from forces across the UK to take part in a new investigations unit.
It will aim to "maximise social media intelligence" as the Government aims to avoid riots, like those seen last year.
With growing concerns across the country about asylum hotels, Angela Rayner has already warned the cabinet that the Government should address "the real concerns people have" about immigration.
PA
|A special police unit will be created from forces across the country
Critics have branded the social media plans as "disturbing" with worries over it leading to censorship and restrictions of free speech.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "Two-tier Keir can't police the streets, so he's trying to police opinions instead. They're setting up a central team to monitor what you post, what you share, what you think, because deep down they know the public don't buy what they're selling.
"Labour have stopped pretending to fix Britain and started trying to mute it. This is a Prime Minister who's happy to turn Britain into a surveillance state, but won't deport foreign criminals, won't patrol high streets, won't fund frontline policing.
"Labour are scared of the public, Labour don't trust the public, Labour don't even know the public."
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REUTERS | Nigel Farage has called the move 'sinister'
Leader of Reform UK Nigel Farage called the move the "beginning of the state controlling free speech".
Farage described the decision as "sinister, dangerous and must be fought. Reform UK will do just that".
The new united, called the National Internet Intelligence Investigations team, will work out of the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC) in Westminster.
The NPoCC will focus on dealing with "nationally significant protests" and public disorder.
PA | Angela Rayner said the Government needs to address 'the real concerns people have' about immigration
Plans for the new unit came to light in a letter to MPs by Dame Diana Johnson, the policing minister.
Johnson stated: "We are carefully considering recommendations made by the [Commons home affairs] committee and HMICFRS [His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services] in this area, including building a National Internet Intelligence Investigations team as part of the NPoCC.
"This team will provide a national capability to monitor social media intelligence and advise on its use to inform local operational decision-making.
"This will be a dedicated function at a national level for exploiting internet intelligence to help local forces manage public safety threats and risks."
It is unclear how the unit will be funded, with Johnson saying it "needs to be considered in line with future funding priorities".